Elevator door



June 5, 1923. 1,457,566

B. WEXLER ELEVATOR DOOR Filed Dec. 13 1920 2. Sheets-Sheet l I alm wm June 5, 1923. 1,457,566

. B. WEXLER ELEVATOR DOOR Filed Dec. 1 3', 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 5, 1923.;

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BENJAMIN WEXLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOB TO THE PEELLECOHPANY,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 01' NEW YORK. J

,I ELEVATOR noon.

Application me ine emter 1a, 1920. Serial no. 480,888.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN Wnxnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, county of Kings, and State [of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator Doors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to elevator doors, and more particularly to doors of thls character known as truckable doors, wherein a door section in opening passes downwardly and is suspended by suitable stops 'wlth the upper edge thereof substantially flush with the 'sill of the door opening, and substantially spanning the gap between a landing and an elevator car so as to support loads passing from the landing to the car or from the car to the landing.

Heretofore in doors of the truckable type, it has been the practice to provide stops which are engaged by the hanger bar or by the suspension means for the door section, thus causing the load of passing vehicles to be sustained either directly or 1ndirectly in the first instance by said hanger bar. I

\Vhen heavy loads pass across the door, or when doors are of considerable width, and sometimes when neither of these conditions are present, from a long continued use of the door structure, there is a tendency of the protruding ends of the hanger bar to bend from the heavy or repeated stresses, and thus reduce the effectiveness of the truckable feature of the do'oras a result of the top thereof or the truck bar reinforcing said top, being permitted to come to rest only when it has reached a point well below the sill of the door opening.

To avoid the above conditions, it has been the practice to use heavy stock in the hanger bar and to provide various reinforcements for the structure of the hanger bar adacent the door, to give a rigidity to the door structure tending to resist such bending strains upon the hanger bar and the truck bar.

In a door structure made in accordance with m invention, I am enabled to provide a truc able door structure wherein thehanger bar will be relieved from all bendingstresses from the loads passing across the door, such stresses being applied to the stops and therethroug'h tothe wall. of the elevator shaft, through the frame of the door section, which is suitably reinforced to prevent racking and distorting thereof. By this means hanger bars of standard dimensions and weights may be used irrespec-v tive of the width, or the uses, of the door, since the primary function of a hanger bar in a door embodying my invention, is to sustain the load of the door section and facilitate its operative connection to its co-operating section, or other mechanism, incidental to the opening and closing of the door according to whether the door structure be of the counterbalanced, semi-automatic or full automatic type.

The stop mechanism forming a part of the door structure of my invention also serves as a binder for holding the door when in the closed position,vclose to the wall of the elevator shaft independently of the guide shoes, and preventing displacement of the door from blows thereon from the floor s de of the shaft.

This stop mechanism may be, and preferably is, so constructed as to provide a supplemental stop adapted to co-operate with the hanger bar, this supplemental stop,

however, being operative to support theload of the door only in the event of a failure of the main stops, as in the event of breakage or wear thereon.

The invention consists primarily in an elevator door embodyin therein a vertically slidable section adapted to descend in an elevator shaft, suspension means therefor, an abutment carried by the frame of said section and projecting inwardly of the shaft and at substantially right angles to the plane of said section, and a stop supported from the elevator shaft and projectlngv parallel with the plane of the door and in the path of movement of said abutment in a position to be engaged thereby when the top of the door is substantiall flush with the sill of the opening with whic it co-operates, whereby loads upon the door will be transmitted directly from theframe of the door to said stop and therethrough to the elevator shaft; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of "parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

section B which are vertically slidable in.

opposite directions, the section B descending in the shaft during the opening movement of the door to a position where the top'bar thereof will be substantially flush with the sill of a door opening indicated at C in Figs. 2 and 3.

The door sections A and B are connected by the usual suspension means D passing over the pulleys E adjacent the lintel upon opposite sides of the door opening.

' The section A is provided with the usual guide shoes F co-operating with the guide rails G arranged upon opposite sides of the door opening and supported from the angular wall rail H firmly secured to the wall of the elevator shaft. The section B is providedwith suitable guide shoes I also cooperating with the guide rails G.

The lower end of the suspension -means D is coiinected with a hanger bar J secured to the upper portion of the frame of the door section B with the ends projecting beyond the wall rail H, which construction is designed primarily to ensure proper positioning of the point of connection of the suspension means to the lower door section in relation to each pulley E.

The construction heretofore described is old and well known in this art, and forms no part of the present invention considered in respect to its'specific details, the invention relating more particularly to that combination of parts by which the door section B will be arrested in its downward movement and supported entirely independently of the hanger bar J and the suspension means D.

In elevator doors of the type to which my invention relates, the construction upon each side of the door is the same as upon the other side thereof, so that in describing the stop mechanism above referred to, it will be merely necessary to describe this mechanism as applied to one side of the door, it being understood that a like mechanism is similarly applied to the other side of the door. A

While the invention is shown as being applied to a metal sheathed wooden paneled door structure, it is equally applicable to the corrugated metal type of door, since both types of doors are constructed with an angle iron frame, the former having the opening in the frame closed by the metal sheathed wood panel above referred to, and the latter by a corrugated metal panel.

Referring more particularly to the stop mechanism, it consists of an angular fitting or bracket a preferably of malleable iron ada ted to have a snug fit within the angle.

at tie upper corner of the angle iron frame 6 of the door section B, one arm a of this fitting being rigidly secured to the top bar of the frame 6 and the other arm a being rigidly secured to the adjacent side bar of said frame.

Carried by the fitting a, is an abutment c projecting inwardly of the elevator shaft and at right angles to the plane of the door section B, said projection being limited so as to avoid any interference with the elevator. car. To impart additional rigidity to the side bar of the frame I), I secure thereto an angle bar (1, the outwardly extending flange of which projects beyond the guide rail G so as to serve as a flame angle co-operating with said guide rail to avoid such an opening adjacent the edge of the door section as would permit flame or smoke to pass from an elevator Well to the floor of the building closed by the door. The fitting a in addition to being secured to the door frame 6 is secured to this angle bar (1.

Secured to the wall of the elevator shaft in any desired manner as by being bolted to the wall rail H, is a stop e projecting parallel with the plane of the door section B and extending across the edge of the side bar of the frame thereof sutiiciently to be positioned in the path of movement of the abutment c carried by said door section. Said stop e is positioned adjacent and below the sill C of the door opening so that when the abutment c engages the stop, it will bring the truck bar carried by the top bar of the frame I) of the door section B on substantially the same plane as the sill C. If the truck bar be slightly above or slightly below the sill, it is immaterial in the functioning of the door, since such will not interfere with the free passage of trucks between the sill to the elevator car.

To facilitate the assembling of the door structure in the shop and permit its adjustment to meet the conditions met during installation in a building, it is the common practice to make the stops in the truckable doors adjustable vertically, a practice which is followed in the type of stop mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings. To

permit the desired adjustment, I form the stop 6 integrally with a base i having a plurality of clutch teeth 9 upon one side thereof, which teeth are adapted to co operate with oppositely set teeth h upon the plate 71 which is bolted to the wall rail section B,-said stop willserve as abinder which, by engagement with the lower portion of the door section B when it is closed, will prevent the door from being forced away from the wall of a shaft by blows from the floor side of the door. a

In addition to the stop 6, I preferably provide a supplemental stop mechanism consisting of a stepped portion is at the top of the base f formig a notch adapted to receive the hanger bar J when the door-is in the open position. Normally the lower edge of said hanger bar will be disengaged from the horizontal portion of the notch formed by the stepped portion is so that the hanger bar will not become operative to engage said supplemental stop except in the event of breakage or wear upon the main stop e. The vertical wall of the notch formed by the stepped portion is will, however, serve to supplement the action of the stop 6 in preventing play of the door inwardly of the shaft when it is open and loads are passing thereover.

In a door constructed as herein described, the fitting a not only causes the. stresses from the loads passing over the door to be transmitted directly to the stop 6 and through same and the Wall rail H to the wall of the elevator shaft, thus relieving the hanger bar from the strains of such loads, but braces the frame I) of the door in a manner to prevent skewing or racking of same by such loads.

Furthermore, since said fittin is secured P to both the top and the side ars of the frame, it is apparent that the reactionary stresses from the load are distributed-substantially throughout the entire door structure, thus avoiding any necessity for using heavier stock in the frame, which would have the undesirable effect of increasing the weight of the door.

It is desirable to use the usual truck bar which supplements the action of the hanger bar J in stiffening the top rail of the door, but this is an old and well known expedient in this art.

The wall rail H is sufliciently strong to re sist shearing strains thereon from the late 5, the extended contact area between said plate and the flange of said rail reducing any such strains to a minimum.

The arrangement of the .stop mechanism is also such as to bring the support for the door whenin the open position, nearer the I vertical center of the door, which will tend to reduce the shearing stresses upon the stope.

While I have'described the stepped ortion is as being a supplemental stop, it is apparent that if desired, the various parts may be so proportioned that the hanger bar J would engage the horizontal portion of the notch of said stepped portion simultaneously with'the engagement of the abutment c with the stop 6, although this isunnecessary in actual practice and would require an accuracy in the production and fitting of parts which is undesirable if not impracticable in an equipment of the character to which my invention relates. Such a condition, however, may readily develop as a result of wear from continued use of a door, and if it so de elops, the condition will be desirable rather than otherwise.

It is not my intention to lim t the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it, being apparent that the necessity for the vertical adjustment of the stop e may be obvi-" ated, and other changes of design may be introduced without departing from I the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

' 1. An elevator door embodying therein a vertically slidable section having a metal frame, and means closing the space within said frame, said section being adapted to descend in an elevator shaft, suspension means therefor, an abutment carried by the frame of said section and projecting inwardly of the shaft and at substantially right angles to the plane of said section, and a stop supported from the elevator shaft and projecting parallel with the plane of the door and in the path of movement of said abutment ina position to be engaged thereby when the top of the door is substantially flush with the sill of the opening with which it co-operates, whereby loads upon the door will be transmitted directly from the frame of the door to said stop and therethrough to the elevator shaft.

2. An elevator door embodying therein a vertically slidable section adapted to descend in'anelevator shaft and having an angular frame of angle metal, suspension meanstion, and stops supported from the elevator shaft upon opposite sides of the door opening and projecting parallel with the plane of the doors and in the path of movement of said abutments respectivel in-a position to be en aged thereb when t e top of the door is substantially ush with the sill of the opening with which it co-operates, whereby loads upon the door will be transmitted directly from the frame of the door to said stops and therethrough to the wall of the elevator shaft.

3. An elevator door embodying therein a vertically slidable section adapted to descend in an elevator shaft, suspension means therefor, an abutment carried by the frame of said section and projecting lnwardly of the shaft and at substantially right angles to the plane of said section, and a stop supported from the elevator shaft and projecting parallel with the plane of the door and in the path of movement of said abutment in a position to be engaged thereby when the top of the door is substantially flush with the sill of the opening with which it co-operates, whereby loads from the door will be transmitted directly'from the frame of the door to said stop and therethrough to the elevator shaft, said stop projecting across the frame of said door section in close roximity thereto, whereby said section is held against movement inwardly of the shaft.

4. An elevator door embodying therein a vertically slidable section adapted to descend in an elevator shaft and having an angular frame of angle metal, reinforcing flame angles secured to the opposite side rails of said frame, suspension means therefor, metal angle brackets fitted at the upper corners of said frame, one of the arms of said bracket being secured to the top bar of said frame and the other arm thereof being secured to the side bar of said frame and said flame angle, an abutment-upon each of said brackets projecting inwardly of the shaft and at substantially right angles to the plane of said door section, and stops supported from the elevator shaft upon opposite sides of the door opening and projectingparallel with the plane of the doors and in the path of movement of said abutments respectively in a position to be engaged thereby when the top of the door is substantially flush with the sill of the opening with which. it cooperates, whereby loads upon the door will be transmitted directly from the frame of the door to said stops and 'therethrough to the wall of the elevator shaft.

5. An elevator door embodying therein a vertically slidable section having a metal frame, and means closing the space within said frame, said section being adapted to descend in an elevator shaft, suspension means therefor, an abutment carried by the frame of said section and projecting inward- 1y of the shaft and at substantially right angles to the plane of said section, a stop memes will be transmitted directly from the frame r of the door to said sto and therethrough to the elevator shaft, an means whereby said sto may be adjusted vertically in relation to the si 1 of a door opening to ensure stoppage of -the door with the top rail in the desired relation to said sill.

6. An elevator door embodying therein a vertically slidable section having a metal frame, and means closing the space within said frame, said section being adapted to descend in an elevator shaft, suspension means thereof, abutments carried by the frame of said section upon opposite sides adjacent the top thereof and projecting inwardly of the shaft at substantlally right angles to the plane of said section, guiding means upon each side of said door section comprising an angle wall rail, a guide rail carried thereby, shoes carried by the door co-operating with said guide rail, :1 plate rigidly mounted upon said wall rail, said plate having a sequence of clutch teeth thereon. a base having clutch teeth thereon co-operating with the clutch teeth upon said plate, means whereby said base may be set in any adjusted position in relation to said plate, and a stop carried by said base and projecting parallel with the plane of the door section and in the path of movement of said abutment upon the adjacent side of the door section in a position to be engaged thereby when the top of the door is substantially flush with the sill of the opening with which it co-operates, whereby loads upon the door will be transmitted directly from the frame of the door to said stop and therethrough to the elevator shaft.

7. An elevator door embodying therein avertically slidable section having a metal frame, and means closing the space within said frame, said section being adapted to descend in an elevator shaft, suspension means therefor, including a hanger bar adjacent the top of said section, an abutment carried by the frame of said section and projecting inwardly of the shaft and at substantially right angles to the plane of said section, a stop supported from the elevator shaft and projecting parallel with the plane of the door and in the-path of movement of said abutment in a position to be engaged thereby when the top of the door is substantially flush with the sill of the opening with which it co-operates, whereby loads upon the door will be transmitted directly from the frame of the door to said nemeee sto and therethrough to the elevator shaft, an a supplemental stop arranged in the path of movement of said hanger bar below and adjacent the sill of the door opening.

8. An elevator door embodying therein a. vertically slidable section having a metal frame, and means closing the space within said frame, said section being adapted to descend in an elevator shaft, suspension means therefor including a hanger bar secured adjacent the top of the door section, abut'ments carried by the frame of said section upon opposite sides adjacent the top thereof and projectin inwardly of the shaft at substantially right angles to the plane of said section, guiding means upon each side of said door section comprising an angle wall rail, a guide rail carried thereby, shoes carried b the door co-operating with said guide rai a plate rigidly mounted upon said wall rail, said plate having a sequence of clutch teeth thereon, a base having clutch teeth thereon co-operating with the clutch teeth upon said plate, means whereby said base may be set 25 in any adjusted position inirelation to said plate, and a sail? carried by said base and projecting pa el with the plane of the door section and in the path of movement of said abutment upon the adjaeentside of the door sectionin a position to be engaged thereby when the top of the door is substantially'flush with the sill of the opening with which it co-operates, whereby loads upon the door will be transmitted directly from the frame of the door to said step and therethrough to the elevator shaft, the top of said base being extended above said stop to adjacent the sill of the door opening, and havmg a stepped portion forming a notch adapted to receive said hanger bar, whereb in the event of breakage or wear upon sai stop, said door section will be supported partially or wholly by the engagement of said hanger bar with said; notched portion of said base.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses..-

FA KonHLnR,

w; ::i A, BNAE. 

